Drunken Canuck fans left a black mark on Vancouver’s world-class cityscape last night after the Vancouver Canucks lost the final run for the Stanley Cup to the Boston Bruins.
Devastated fans poured out in thousands from the downtown core to go soothe their shattered dreams while the rest, tens of thousands of fans, broke out into an ugly mob. The scene mirrored that of the riot of 1994: a picture of overturned cars, burning vehicles, broken store windows, mobs looting the Granville strip, and throwing of skids, bottles, Canucks gear and anything else in arms reach put Vancouver into the history books in the most tasteless, embarrassing way possible.
The outrage started in front of the Canada Post building when a group of youth overturned a vehicle and jumped on it before setting it ablaze. Another fire was started to burn towels, garbage and Canuck memorabilia. Multiple fires were then ablaze throughout the downtown core, including in overturned port-a-potties, garbage cans and store displays.
At least a hundred riot police were stationed at every corner within minutes, trying to push back the rioters and to get onlookers to run to safety. This invited the crowd to then start throwing anything and everything at the barricade and fights between rioters and police soon broke out.
Hundreds of flailing arms attached to smart phones were photographing and filming the event. Tweets about “running for your lives” and “overturning cars” and “making history” flooded the Twittersphere.
Volunteers are now helping out to clean up the mess left behind. Gloves, bags and brooms are handed out all around the downtown core.
The Vancouver Police Department are looking for any clues and photos to properly prosecute the rioters. If you any photos of last night’s ugly turn of events, please upload them here to help them out: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Vancouver-Riot-Pics-Post-Your-Photos/121837081234162 or canucksriot2011.com or http://www.identifyrioters.com/
Vancouver is a classy city who knows a loss is a loss and there’s always next year. It’s a shame to see some disappointing people do not see it the same way. Vancity is sorry, and we at the Converge team pray that everyone who was there is safe and unharmed.
